Match-box.



' Nufs94,|69; Patented Feb. 25, I902.

J. T. MATTHEWS.

MATCH BOX.

(Application filed- June 12, 1901.)

(No Model.)

manner that when taken hold of and drawn from the casing one by one the matches will a sliding press-plate adapted to be reciproing with slideways to receive such lugs in the side wall of the casing, spiral springs secured the casing, a main wall at the delivery end UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. MATTHEWVS, OF NEWARK, NElV JERSEY.

MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 694,169, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed June 12, 1901.

To 60% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Boxes, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a combined holder for-matches and toothpicks, wherein the matches to be delivered will be contained in a closed casing and automatically forced forward to the delivery-point in such manner that only a limited number will be at any one time in a position to be drawn from the casin g and will be presented in such be automatically ignited at the moment of To such ends my invention consists, in subcated in the casing, lugs upon the plate for holding the same in a central position coact to the four corners of the plate and located inslots in the wall of the casing normally forcing the press-plate toward the delivery end of easing against which the matches are forced by the press-plate,.a bottom incline adjacent to the end wall extending backward and downward therefrom, its highest end abutting against the end wall, an outlet-orifice immediately over the highest portion of such bottom incline formed in the top of the casing, an upwardly-turned guiding end portion to the back portion of the casing top forming the rear side of such delivery-slot, a scratch-surface upon one side of said delivery-slot for igniting the matches when withdrawn therefrom, and a toothpick receptacle or reservoir formed inthe casing beyond the end wall of the match-chamber thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side and rear end view in perspective of my match-safe and Serial No. 64,288. (No model.)

toothpick holder. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof in central vertical longitudinal section, the press-plate being shown in the extreme rearward position assumed by it when the matchreservoir is completely filled with matches. Fig. 3 is a view thereof of the same section as Fig. 2, showing the position assumed by the press-plate when the match-reservoir is only partially filled with matches. Fig. 4 is a rear view of such match-safe with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3 in section on the line m :r of said Fig. 3 looking from the rear; and Fig. 5 is a front view of the device, showing the reservoir for holding the toothpicks.

To form my new and improved match-safe, I provide a base A, of any suitable material, such as wood or metal, usually provided with a bottom sheet of rubber or felt 1, to prevent the scratching of the table or counter upon which the same may be placed, which base A supports a rectangular casing B, the side walls of which are provided with side slots 2, 3, and 4, formed therein in any desired manner, in the upper slots 2 and in the lower slots 4 there being located spiral springs 5,

extending to the extreme forward wall 6, to

which the front ends of such springs are secured, as shown at 7 in Figs. 2 and 3. Formed of such size as to reciprocate easily back and forth with the central chamber of the casing forming the match-chamber D is a press-plate 8, which is provided on either side with tangs 9, fitting in the central slots 3, and to this press-plate 8 the springs 5 are secured, preferably by means of suitable tangs 10, extending into the slots 4, as shown in Fig. 4, and such press-plate 8 is provided on the outer rear side with a central retracting-knob 11, by which the same may be drawn back into the extended position shown in Fig. 2, when by lifting up the hinged cover 13, normally held closed by suitable catches 14, a fresh supply of matches may be dropped down into the match-chamber D, when upon the releaseslot 19, which delivery-slot extends clear across the top and is in width slightly greater than the thickness of the matches to be delivered therethrough immediately below this deliveryslot 19, and extending backward and downward from the end plate 15 of the match chamber or magazine B is the delivery-incline 20, which at the rear end merges gradually and gently into the bottom plate of the cas ing, as shown at 21. The extreme depth of the match chamber or magazine D is slightly less than that of the matches to be delivered,

and the distance from the highest point of the delivery-incline 20, adjacent to the end wall 15 of such match-reservoir to the top of the casing, is such that when the end row of matches are forced by the press-plate 8 snugly up against the wall 15, and consequently forced up to the apex of the delivery-incline 20, the upper ends thereof will be forced out through the delivery-slot 19, as shown at 22, when by takinghold of the same with the finger they can be drawn out in ones, twos, or threes, as may be desired.

Located upon one side of the delivery-slot 19,usually on the extreme rear side, just below the top thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, is a file or scratch-surface 24, of any suitable material,

, the space between the same and the upturned end 17 of the top plate 18 on the other side of the delivery-slot 19, when such igniting-strip 24 is in position, while being of sufficient width to permit of the butt of the match being forced up through such delivery-slot, is narrower than the heads of such matches, where by the bringing of the head into contact with such scratch-surface upon the complete withdrawal of the match from such delivery-slot will be made inevitable, and the consequent friction will ignite the matches as they are withdrawn one by one from the casing.

In order to provide sufficient space for the retracting-springs 5 to force the press-plate 8 fully up against the wall 15, so as to deliver the last layer of matches within the casing, an extension of the casing beyond the wall 15 is of course necessary, and this-I usually provide with a chamber 25, usually of the form shown, open at the top, which may be used to hold toothpicks 26 or for any other purpose.

In order to permit of the press-plate 8 pass ing over the incline 20 clear to the plate 15 when the last match is removed fromthe reservoir, the same is made somewhat shorter than the casing, so that a space 26 is left between the lower edge of said press-plate and the bottom of the match magazine or chamber D, and the complete withdrawal of the press-plate 8 from the casing in the operation of filling the magazine with matches through the space covered by the hinged cover 13 may be prevented by rear cross -strips 27. In some cases the cover 13 and retaining-strips 27 may be omitted if the lugs 9, located in the slots 3, be extended forward a short distance to abut the point indicated by the dotted line a, in Fig. 2, the slots 3 being extended beyond the match-magazine D, as shown in said Fig. -3 at B, to receive the same when the last few matches alone are in the casing, and in such cases the device is filled by withdrawing the plate 8 slightly from the casing and inserting the matches into the casing in front of said plate and upon the extension of the bottom 28. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.)

Havin g fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A matclrsafe comprising a casing provided with a match-chamber having a stationary wall at one end and a spring-operated follower or press plate at the other end, said casing being provided in the top thereof with a transverse match-slot adjacent to the stationary end wall and at the bottom thereof with an upwardly-inclined portion adjacent to the said stationary end wall, the top of said casing at the front of the match-slot being also inclined upwardly,substantially as shown and described. v p

2. A match-safe comprising a casing provided with a match-chamber having a sta-' tionary transverse end wall at one end and a spring-operated follower or press plate at the opposite end, the springs by which the follower or press plate is operated beinglocated in the sides of the match-safe, the top of said match-safe being also provided adjacent to the stationary end wall with a transverse slot, the end of the top adjacent to the slot being upwardly inclined and the bottom of said match-safe being provided adjacent to the stationary end wall with an upwardly-inclined portion,substantially as shown and described.

3. A match-safe comprising a casi n g having a-match-chamber having a stationary transverse end wall at one end and a spring-operated follower or press plate at the opposite end, the springs by which the follower or press plate is operated being located in the sides of the match-safe, the top of said matchsafe being also provided adjacent to the stationary end wall with a transverse slot, the end of the top adjacent to the slot being upwardlyinclined and the bottom of said matchsafe being provided adjacent to the stationary end wall with an upwardly-inclined portion, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of June, 1901.

JOHN T. MATTHEWS. Witnesses:

O. LADD-DAVIS, L. R. BAYER. 

